Cargo transferral



Feb. 14, 1967 V, H, TREVISAN 3,303,939

CARGO TRANSFERRAL Original Filed March 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. l//PG/Z T/P'V/fA/V Feb. 14, 1967 Original Filed March 17, 196

V. H. TREVISAN CARGO TRANSFERRAL 4 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 DOWN v/ HEAVY BURTON LIFT LIGHT LIFT DOWN DOWN DOWN UNLOAD OUTBD BOOM INBD LOAD LUFF LUFF OUTBD 5@ I |NBD U5 :NBD Boom ouTBD t INVENTOR. E7 6. l//ga mfr/mmf L/{fA/ycaq Feb. 14, 1967 V. H. TREVISAN 3,303,939

CARGO TRANSFERRAL Original Filed March 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WWW? .IHHHHHHHHHIHH WW 4 OAD/VLEX 3,303,939 CARGO TRANSFERRAL Virgil H. Trevisan, 825 Lincoln Ave., Pitman, N J. 08071 Original application Mar. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 352,560, now

Patent No. 3,249,234, dated May 3, 1966. Divided and this application Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 545,177

6 Claims. (Cl. 212-3) This application is a division of my prior copending application, Serial No. 352,560, now Patent No. 3,249,234, May 3, 1966, for Shipboard Boom and Rigging.

This invention relates to cargo transferral and concerns particularly a system for transferring a load from a rst rest location to a nearby rest location by means of swinging booms, as in the loading and unloading of a ship, for instance.

In my U.S. Pat. 3,057,484 there is disclosed a cargotransferring system wherein a boom is fully controlled, i.e., swung in azimuth and/or raised or lowered, by changing the effective length of either or both of two independently variable topping lifts. In that system it is possible and customary to refrain from raising a laden boom; instead, the boom may be swung and lowered simultaneously merely by lengthening the topping lift line on the side away from which the boom is desired to swing, or it may be lulfed or swung at constant height by lengthening the one topping lift line and shortening the other topping lift line simultaneously to like extent. Even in such a convenient system, swinging the boom represents something of an undertaking, however, and one that may not be justified in the instance of relatively light items of cargo.

A primary object of the present invention is adaptation or modification of my aforementioned cargotransferring system for ready conversion from handling heavy loads to handling light loads and vice versa.

Another object is provision of a cargo-transferring system readily adapted to burtoning relatively light loads, Le., moving them laterally (and otherwise) by changing the lengths of supporting cables or cargo lifts attached thereto rather than swinging a boom, while also being suited to handling relatively heavy loads by swinging a supporting boom.

A further object is provision of a cargo-transferring system with improved drive and control means for boomsupported cargo lifts and boom-controlling topping lifts.

Yet another object is provision of a cargo-transferringl system with a novel universal mounting for a swinging boom.

Other objects of the present invention, together with means and methods for attaining the various objects, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying diagrams.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cargo-transferring system of this invention rigged for handling a heavy load and shown at an early stage in unloading;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the same system so rigged but at a later stage in unloading;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same cargo-transferring system rigged for burtoning a relatively light load and shown at an early stage in unloading; and

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the same system rigged as in FIG. 3 but at a later stage in unloading.

FIG. 5 is a plan, somewhat schematic and partially in section, of drive and control means for use in such a cargo-transferring system according to this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a plan, somewhat schematic and partly in section, of a control board and levers for such drive and control means.

United States Patent rfi" ICC'

In general, the objects of the present invention are accomplished, in a cargo-transferring system, by providing a boom universally mounted at its foot, a plurality of laterally spaced topping lifts controlling the location of the boom head, and a plurality of cables depending from the boom head, the topping lifts being variable in length independently of one another and the depending cables being variable in length independently of one another. Particular apparatus features of this invention are described specically below with reference to illustration of a preferred embodiment thereof.

FIGS. l and 2 show in perspective, looking aft, a cargo-transferring system of the present invention as normally employed for transferral (e.g., unloading) of relatively heavy loads. Item of cargo 11 represented in double-layered form is slung to hook 12 aixed to lower block 13 of a first cargo fall whose cable 14 extends about upper block 15 attached to the head of port boom 16 (shown in an inboard position) then down along the boom to and about lead block 17 and onto drum 18 of a winch therefor. The showing in broken lines in FIG. l represents a lower position of the tackle and item of cargo in hatchway 10 of the hold from which it was raised in unloading by winding the cable onto the winch drum to shorten the cargo fall. The supporting boom is mounted universally at its foot on boom step 19 affixed to king post or mast 21, which extends vertically from deck 2t) and is located athwart a similar king post or mast 21'. Hook 22 of a second cargo fall in the form of cable 24 depending from block 2S attached to the head of boom 16 is secured detachably to pad eye 29 mounted on king post 21, alongside (inboard) of the boom step thereon; the cable extends downward along the boom and about lead block 27 and onto winch drum 23. The boom has two topping lifts, one inboard and one outboard, whose cables or lines 31 and 36 extend from the boom head (to which they are aixed) about respective lead blocks 32 and 37 on Outrigger truss 30 joining the tops of the pair of king posts, then about lead blocks 33 and 38 located near the junction of king post 21 and the truss, downward about lead blocks 34 and 39 at the base of the king post, and finally onto winch drums (partially hidden in this View).

To facilitate reference, the second king post and its associated elements in FIGS. 1 to 4, on the starboard side, (at the viewers left in each View) are denoted by primed reference numerals otherwise identical with those applied to the first king post and its associated elements (considered as mirror images thereof). Thus, in FIG. 1 boom 16 is shown topped outboard, with hook 12 on lower block 13 of cargo fall cable 14' detachably secured to pad eye 4G on the deck at an outboard location generally athwart the near edge Vof hatchway It). The king posts are flanked by pair of pad eyes 35, 35' mounted on the deck, while pair of pad eyes 40, 40 (similarly mounted) are spaced forward of that pair.

FIG. 2 shows, also in perspective, the same apparatus shown in FIG. 1 but with boom 16 (and item of cargo 11 supported thereby) swung outboard and down by lengthening inboard topping lift line 31, which is done lby unwinding it to the desired extent from its winch drum. The additional showing of the item of car-go and supporting tackle in broken lines represent an alternative position occupied at an even later stage in unloading, as the item -of cargo is lowered yto the wharf or a smaller vessel.

In the operations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 other boom 16 remains stationary and does not participate at all. FIGS. 3 and 4, which represent the same apparatus in perspective, show the use of boom 16' as well as boom 16 (both stationary) and the associated tackle in burton- 3 ing an item of cargo that is suticiently light to be so handled.

In FIG. 3 b-oom 16' has been swung inboard (and downward) over hatchway 10, as by lengthening outboard topping lift line 36. Also lengthened accordingly was cable 14 of the heavy cargo fall, which is secured to the deck as previously indicated. Boom 16 is in much the same outboard position as in FIG. 2, and cable 14 of its heavy cargo fall is shown secured similarly to pad eye 35 on the deck. Light cargo fall cables 24 and 24 (both shown as single lengths) depending from their respective booms are interconnected at their ends by the ring of cargo hook 26. The cargo hook engages a sling about item of cargo 11a, which is shown in single-lay ered form half the size -of item 11 previously shown. The lower position shown in broken lines illustrates the narrower angle of the cargo fall cables when the supported item of cargo was in the hatchway, from which it was raised yby shortening both supporting cables.

FIG. 4 is like FIG. 3 except that the supported item of cargo has been burtoned to an outboard position by simultaneously lengthening cable 24I and shortening cable 24 to like extent. A lower position to which the item of cargo is lowered by lengthening both supporting Cables appears in broken lines. The securing of the heavy cargo fall cables by means of their hooks to pad eyes on the deck, although not essential, is advantageous in that it enables them to function as preventers to assist the topping lifts in maintaining the fixed boom positions; alternatively, if such preventer function is not desired, either or both of them may be secured to a pad eye near the associated boom step, as the light cargo fall cable of boom 16 was in FIGS. l and 2.

In any event the system may be converted readily, as indicated, to and from use of a swinging single boom, which is useful for relatively heavy items of cargo, to burtoning with 'both booms xed in position, as is preferred for lighter items of cargo. The winch drums for the various cables or lines may be driven conventionally by individual motors, as is common, lbut it is preferred to drive them from a single motor as described below.

FIG. 5 shows in plan the preferred drive and control means for the cargo fall cables and topping lift lines associated with the boom (not shown in this view) mounted on king post 21 (shown in section). Visible in addition to winch drums 13 and 28 for heavy and light cargo fall cables 14 and 24, respectively, are smaller winch drums 41 and 46 (previously partially hidden) for respective topping lift lines 31 and 36. Also shown and enumerate-d are drive motor 45 land transmission cases or gearboxes 42 and 48 located 'between the pair of topping lift winch drums and the pair of cargo fall winch drums, respectively. For simplicity of the showing the king post is shown closely adjacent gearbox 42, with consequent exaggeration of the angles at which the various cables and lines run to their respective winch drums; actually the king post is located further therefrom, and the cables and lines run nearly fore and aft rather than at the illustrated angles of deviation therefrom. Each winch drum has a shaft connecting it to the transmissions, and each transmission is connected to the motor by a drive shaft. The transmissions maybe of convention-al or other suitable type and are connected in appropriate manner to and are engageable with and disengageable from the drive motor by control means as shown in the next view.

FIG. 6 shows, in plan, control panel 51 for the boom mounted on king post 21 on the port side and designated as NO. 2 BOOM. The control panel is preferably located behind (aft in this instance) of the winch drums, between them and the king post on which the boom controlled thereby is mounted. Shown sectioned are control levers 52 and 58 for transmissions 42 and 48, respectively. Lever 58, which controls the cargo fall cables is mounted for movement in an H pattern, the crossbar of the H Ibeing a declutched or neutral position, i.e., both winch drums 18 and 28 disengaged. The forward positions of the lever (at the t-op of either arm of the H) are marked DOWN, and the rear positions (at the arm bottoms) are marked UP, to indicate the movement of the cargo fall hook (and any attached item of cargo) when the lever is in such positions. In the left arm of the H the lever controls HEAVY LIFT cable 14, and in the right arm LIGHT LIFT cable 24 also marked BURTON in view of its use for burtoning. Actual control of the transmissions by the respective levers is by means of conventional clutches and connecting linkage (not shown).

The operating pattern of lever 52 for the topping lift lines is somewhat more vcomplex but as readily understandable as that for lever 58. As before, the cross-bar position is neutral, but there are three parallel arms in tersecting the cross-bar at right angles instead of only two, and the cross-bar extends a short way past the extreme arms. The right most extreme position of the lever is marked LUFF INBD, and the leftmost extreme position LUFF OUTBD, to denote that the boom will be lutfed inboard or outboard as the case may be when tbe lever is so positioned. In either lufling position winch drums 41 and 46 are rotated together in opposite directions, to lengthen and shorten the two topping lift lines simultaneously and to like extent. The centermost arm is marked DOWN BOOM at its forward end and UP BOOM at its rear end; in either of these positions of the control lever both Winch drums 41 and 46 are rotated together in the same direction to lengthen or shorten both topping lift lines simutlaneously and to like extent.

The right side of the lower portion of the control panel in FIG. 6 is marked LOAD, and the left side UNLOAD to indicate that the right and left arms of the pattern are useful accordingly when the boom is swung. Thus, in loading, the boom will begin at a relatively high outboard position, with the lever at the rear of the rightmost arm, marked UP OUTBD. Then movement of the lever' straight forward to the position marked DOWN INBD will rotate winch drum 41 only to lengthen outboard topping lift line 31 and swing the boom under its own weight and that of whatever cargo is supported thereby (as by cargo fall cable 14) down and inboard over the hatchway. Similarly, in unloading, the control lever is moved in the leftmost arm, from the rear position marked UP INBD to the forward position marked DOWN OUTBD.

The benefits of such simplified drive and control means will be 'apparent from the fact that in conventional prac tice more than one drive motor and more than one winch operator (usually several of each) are required. The conventional practice is not only more expensive but presents the problem of lack of coordination, which may result in overstressing and possibly breaking the tackle or damaging the load, possibilities that this invention minimizes or eliminates.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, various modifications may be made therein, such as adding, selecting, combining, or subdividing component parts or changing the orientation, size, or shape thereof, without losing the advantages of or departing from the invention as defined in the follow' ing claims.

The claimed invention is:

1. In a cargo-transferring system, a boom universally mounted at its foot, a pair of topping lifts having lines independently variable in length to control the location of the boom head, a pair of cables independently variable in length depending from the boom head, separate winch drums for each of the topping lift lines and each of the depending cables, drive means for the Winches, and clutch means for connecting either of the winch drums for the depending cables separately to the drive means and clutch means for connecting the winch drums for the topping lift lines to the drive means.

2. In a cargo-transferring system, a hoorn universally mounted at its foot, a pair of topping lifts having lines independently variable in length to control the location of the boom head, a pair of cables independently variable in length depending from lthe boom head, separate winch drums for each of the topping lift lines and each of the depending cables, drive means for the Winches and; clutch means for connecting either of the winch drums for the depending cables separately to the drive means; and clutch means for connecting the winch drums for the topping lift lines to the drive means separately and for .connecting the winch drums for the topping lift lines to the drive means together, both for rotation in the same direction and for rotation in opposite directions.

3. In a cargo-transferring system, a boom universally mounted 'at its foot, a pair of topping lifts having lines independently variable in length to control the location of the boom head, a pair of cables independently variable in length depending from the boom head, separate winch drums for each of 4the topping lift lines and each of the depending cables, a single drive motor for operating all the Winches, and clutch means for connecting either of the winch drums for the depending cables separately to the drive motor, and clutch means for connecting the winch drums for the topping lift lines to the drive motor.

4. In a cargo-transferring system, a boom universally mounted at its foot, a pair of topping lifts having lines independently variable in length to control the location of the -boom head, a pair of cables independently variable in length depending from the boom head, separate winch drums for each of the topping lift lines and each of the depending cables, drive means for the Winches, and clutch means for connecting either of the winch drums for the depending cables separately to the drive means and clutch means for connecting the Winch drums for the topping lift lines to the drive means, including a shift lever Ihaving a neutral position and four engaged positions, a rst engaged position for raising one of the depending cables and a second engaged position for lowering that rst cable, a third engaged position for raising Ithe other depending cable, and a fourth engaged position for lowering that other cable.

5. In a cargo-transferring system, a boom universally mounted at its foot, a pair of topping lifts having lines independently variable in length to control the location of the boom head, a pair of cables independently variable in length depending from the boom head, separate winch drums for each of the topping lift lines and each of the depending cables, drive means for the Winches, and clutch means for connecting either of the winch drums for the depending cables separately to the drive means and clutch means for connecting the winch drums for the topping lift lines to the drive means, including a shift lever having a neutral position and separate positions for shortening both topping lift lines to raise the boom, for lengthening both topping lift lines to lower the boom, for shortening one of the topping lift lines and lengthening the other topping lift line to like extent -to lut the boom in one direction, for shortening the other of the topping lift lines and lengthening the first topping lift line to like extent to lut the boom in the opposite direction, for lengthening one topping lift line while maintaining the other topping lift line at constant length to swing the boom down and outboard, for shortening the one topping lift line while maintaining the other topping lift line at constant length to swing the boom up and inboard, for lengthening the other topping lift line while maintaining the rst topping lift line at constant length to swing the boom down and inboard, and for shor-tening the other topping lift line while maintaining the rst topping lift line at constant length for swinging the boom up and outboard.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the lever positions are laid out as shown in FIG. 6.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,044,771 ll/l9l2 Gaskill 212-70 2,354,132 7/1944 Christotrerson 212-.3 2,559,832 7/1951 Slater 2l2n-3 2,754,975 7/1956 Farrell 212-3 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CARGO-TRANSFERRING SYSTEM, A BOOM UNIVERSALLY MOUNTED AT ITS FOOT, A PAIR OF TOPPING LIFTS HAVING LINES INDEPENDENTLY VARIABLE IN LENGTH TO CONTROL THE LOCATION OF THE BOOM HEAD, A PAIR OF CABLES INDEPENDENTLY VARIABLE IN LENGTH DEPENDING FROM THE BOOM HEAD, SEPARATE WINCH DRUMS FOR EACH OF THE TOPPING LIFT LINES AND EACH OF THE DEPENDING CABLES, DRIVE MEANS FOR THE WINCHES, AND CLUTCH MEANS FOR CONNECTING EITHER OF THE WINCH DRUMS FOR THE DEPENDING CABLES SEPARATELY TO THE DRIVE MEANS AND CLUTCH MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE WINCH DRUMS FOR THE TOPPING LIFT LINES TO THE DRIVE MEANS. 